Understanding of the relative (monetary and
non-monetary) values of different land uses and outputs
from land in Scotland, including landforms, bio- and
geodiversity.

Development of innovative and integrated systems based
approaches to address land use management challenges in
rural and urban areas.

JHISG-RESASSRUCSNHSEPAFR

SG-RESASSG-EQDSG-LUBSG-NHMFCSSNHSEPA

Sustainable land use that is informed by
ecosystem function,
resilient to multiple pressures, and managed
for multiple benefits

Understanding how drivers acting at different scales (e.g.
climate change, demographics, incentives, demand for and
impacts of renewable energy) influence land use change and
the implications for managing land use to deliver multiple
benefits.

Understanding of the implications of land use change and
management practices on:

Levels, sources and sinks of
pollution/contamination

GHG
emissions

Energy supply

Biodiversity, ecosystems and geodiversity

Farming and food production

Human pathogens and food safety

Resilience to flooding and other natural hazards

Tourism, amenity land use and landscape

Understanding the drivers influencing land use decision
making, attitudes to change and identifying mechanisms to
influence these behaviours at appropriate scales.

Predictions of the impact of policy/strategy reform and
evidence to support the implementation of new approaches,
including incentives that can encourage land managers to
deliver a range of desired benefits.

Understanding of the relationship and interactions
between related land use interventions and desired
outcomes.

Realise the full potential of Scottish natural resources
to contribute to Scotland's sustainable
economic growth.

Scotland as a leader in
innovative environmental approaches and
technologies.

Development of innovative approaches, tools, techniques
and technologies for:

Waste reduction

Water technologies

Water use efficiency

Influencing consumer behaviour

Biodiversity and ecosystem management

Development of new techniques and approaches to assess
the economic and societal value of natural resources and
incorporate these values into decision making.

FRJHIMSSSEPASG-RESASSNHSRUCSWCREW DWQR
RINHZWS

FCSMSSSEPASG-EQDSG-NATRESSG-RESASSNHSW ZWS
DWQR SG-CLIM
SG-PADSG-PHD

Sustainable Scottish ecosystems that are
resilient to changing pressures and
threats.

Collection and analysis of environmental monitoring data
for a range of variables in the air, soil, on land and at
sea, and development of indicators and proxies for
ecosystem health and biodiversity.

Understanding the structure, function and services of
Scottish terrestrial, freshwater and coastal ecosystems,
how the natural environment is changing in relation to
various pressures, identifying possible management
approaches and developing an appreciation of their wider
ecological importance.

Understanding the impacts of climate and other
environmental change, including the changing risk to
Scottish biodiversity from invasive species, pests and
diseases, the ability of various ecosystems to adapt and
identification of possible management approaches.

Evidence to support the application of an ecosystems
approach in Scotland.

Monitoring and analysis of risks, presence and impact of
invasive non-native species, pests and diseases on
non-agricultural plant and animal species (including
trees), understanding of potential risk to agricultural
species, development of possible approaches to their
control.

Understanding of the factors (including agricultural and
other land use practices) that influence water quality,
nutrient flows, sediment, catchment morphology and
developing/providing monitoring and integrated management
solutions at appropriate scales. Data on water flows and
their spatial variation, minimum flow requirements for
effective functioning of water infrastructure.

Evidence to evaluate the quality of Scottish soils,
their resilience to changing pressures and practices and
the impact of poor soil quality on the services they
provide.

Understanding of the drivers that influence public
behaviours that result in environmental improvements.

CREWCXCFRJHIMSSSASASEPASG-RESASSNHSRUCSWRBGE

DWQRFCSMSSSASASEPASG-EQDSG-NATRESSG-RESASSNHSWQMSSG-AHW

Sustainable Scottish ecosystems and natural resources
that are contributing to the
health and
well-being of the Scottish population

Low carbon
innovations and opportunities that give rise
to more sustainable
economic growth

Development and evaluation of options for supporting low
carbon innovation.

Development and evaluation of innovative and cost
effective approaches/options for:

Waste re-use

Decarbonising transport, heat and energy
production

Low carbon business practices

Low carbon infrastructure development

Carbon capture and storage

Exploiting unconventional energy sources

CREWCXCSEPASG-RESASZWSFRFSASMSSSG-LCEER

SEPASG-EQDSG-RPFCSFSASMSSG-LCEERSG-RESAS

Progress towards a more
sustainable, resource efficient, circular
economy that is
resilient to environmental pressures
including climate change

Understanding public attitudes and behaviours to moving
towards a low carbon lifestyle.

Evidence to support options and approaches that will
improve energy security, help meet emissions targets and
reduce the carbon footprint and environmental impact of the
energy and agricultural sectors, including;

increasing the contribution of renewables

carbon capture and storage

risks and benefits of unconventional gas

reduction of agricultural losses through disease and
waste

Evidence to support transition to a circular economy,
including understanding resource flows, developing integrated
approaches for waste reduction and recovery, resource
efficiency and recycling, new circular business models, e.g.
extended producer responsibility, design for
circularity.

Understanding of supply chains, systems and factors
affecting performance and profitability in the food, drink
and farming industries.

Approaches to managing risk from livestock, crop and
food-borne disease, including improvements to surveillance
and disease control and understanding and managing the
influence of emerging pressures such as climate change and
land use change.

Evidence to help improve the sustainability of Scottish
crop and livestock systems, including approaches to
sustainable intensification, to improving livestock health
and welfare, to reducing the impacts of crop and livestock
disease, to understanding the role of biodiversity in
delivering low-input food production systems, to
understanding risks to livestock from low-level pollutants,
to understand risks arising from raw materials
shortages.

Evidence to improve understanding of how agricultural
systems and management practices can deliver other
benefits, such as biodiversity conservation (e.g. High
Nature Value farming), water quality, recreation.

JHIMRIMSSRINHSASASG-RESASSRUCFSASQMSSG-FDARCSNH

MSSQMSSASASG-FDARCSG-RESASSG-AHWDFSASSNHSG-PHD

A
healthy and sustainable diet accessible to
all

Evidence to support the development of options to
improve health benefits from food across all price
ranges.

Evidence to reduce diet-related ill-health, including
improved understanding of prevalence, causation and
management of risks from the food supply chain.

FSASJHIRINHSASASG-RESASSNH

SG-PHDSG-FDARCSG-RESASFSASQMSSASASNH

Effective interventions

Evidence to evaluate the effectiveness, influence and
impact of policy interventions including:

The agri-food package of
EU public
health legislation

CAP

Measures to reduce fat and salt in foods

Evidence (including possible tools and incentives) to
help the public sector support the agri-food industry and
the delivery of multiple benefits, including sustainable
use of land and natural resources, production of healthy
food, sustainable rural communities.

Evidence to support policy interventions to improve
dietary health and reduce food insecurity.

Evidence to support the development of improved and
innovative infrastructure such as local energy production,
broadband access, ecotowns, sustainable and reliable
treatment of water and wastewater and housing resilient to
flooding.

JHISEPASG-RESASSRUCCREWCXCDWQRMSS

DWQRSEPASG-EQDSG-RESASMSSSG-PAD

Communities that are responsive to change and
resilient to emerging pressures

Effective flood risk management

Sustainable rural communities that are
interconnected with urban areas

Approaches to improving and assessing community
resilience, evidence of impacts of community engagement and
empowerment on economic and social sustainability.

Approaches to improving flood and flood risk management,
including monitoring occurrences and defences, drainage and
sewer management and integration with other water
policies.

Understanding the impacts of climate change and climate
change adaptation policies at community level.

CREWJHISEPASG-EQDSG-RESASSRUCCXCMSSSG-EQDSG-RUSNHSW

SEPASG-EQDSG-LTRSG-RESASSG-RUSNHSWMSSSG-LUBSG-PADSG-PHD

Empowered, communities that contribute to individual
well-being

Methods to measure community well-being and approaches
to using well-being in financial and policy decisions.

Evidence on delivery of public sector services in remote
rural areas and how they can be improved through spreading
best practice, community engagement and government
intervention.

Understanding the relationship between access to green
space, people's connection with nature and physical and
mental health.

Evidence of the impacts of flooding on health and
well-being.

JHISEPASG-RESASSRUCFRSG-RUSNH

SG-LUBSG-RESASSG-RUSNHFCSSEPA SG-PHD

Effective interventions

Understanding the Scottish Government's role in
supporting communities to become more sustainable.

Developing scenarios for the future of rural areas.

Understanding the mid- and long-term impacts of policy
instruments including,
LEADER,
CERB,
patterns of land/property ownership on rural communities,
identifying those that aid social, geographical mobility
and economic growth at the local level.

Evidence to evaluate the impact of policy reform (
CAP,
Welfare) on rural communities and the rural economy.

Systems approaches for evaluating multiple policies,
multiple outcomes and their impacts and costs.